My first name is split into first name + middle name.
Hello,
Back in 2018, I applied for my DL for the first time using my passport on which the given name is “Marie Ann” and surname is “Lee”. Up to that point, I had gone by “Ann” because technically it’s my first name on my birth certificate from another country. A DMV officer that year strongly did not allow me to use my real first name as by law they had to use what was indicated on my passport, and advised me to use “Marie Ann” as my first name and leave the middle name blank in my application. I figured it would be easier to give up my true first name and go by “Marie Ann” as long as it follows the rules and makes everyone’s life easier. Since then, I used the first name “Marie Ann” and last name “Lee” (without using any middle name or middle name initial) on any official paperwork including schools, social security, bank, professional certificates, etc.
The name in the DL (and all other legal/official documents) has always been “Marie Ann Lee”, my older DL before real ID even clearly indicated FN: Marie Ann. Not until the beginning of this month did I figure out my name in the DMV system is not the same as it was advised in 2018. When I did fingerprinting for my professional license, my application was flagged “insufficient” with the reason that the name did not match because the fingerprints was submitted under the name “Marie A. Lee” and not “Marie Ann Lee” used on my license application. I went back to the fingerprinting agency and they said they simply put down what was on the DMV system after scanning my real ID, which was issued at the beginning of this year.
I went to DMV, hoping to get some help correcting my name on the system because after all, I have been trying to follow what they told me to do since 2018. And sadly, I was dismissed immediately by an agent, who said my name on the DMV system/record would stay as Marie (FN) Ann or A. (MD) and Lee (LN) unless I have court order about my legal name change. I even provided other legal documents (SSA, marriage license, PR card, etc.) with my first name indicated as Marie Ann but the agent refused to take a closer look at them, she did not even attempt to pull up my past record and repeatedly pointing at the space between my first name and said “there is nothing we can do unless you have the court order regarding the name change, clearly there’s a space here, don’t you see?”
I did not change my name ever, I didn’t use any preferred name to avoid confusion, I even gave up my true first name to make the information matches across different legal paperworks. I don’t know when there was an inconsistency initiated in the systems that caused yet another confusion. I just want to make it right once and for all.
Thank you for reading my long post. Please help me if you or someone you know ever encountered similar situation. Anything that can help me fix this is greatly appreciated!